ADA, oleo and awesome feeling
FEDERAL COURT SAYS ADA
DOES COVER WEBSITES
ENCOUNTERS WITH IOWA:
ONE VERY SHORT STORY
I first visited Iowa as part of a smuggling ring. When I was growing up in
Minnesota, you couldn't buy yellow margarine. Margarine was sold in the state,
but it was white instead of yellow. The state legislature had forbidden the
sale of such "colored oleo" to protect the dairy industry.
So Minnesota residents who wanted yellow margarine drove to Iowa to get it. In
my neighborhood, people would take turns making the excursion to Iowa to buy
entire cases of margarine for themselves and others. My parents took me along
on more than one of these adventures in "oleo smuggling."
Iowans encouraged this activity. Markets in towns just inside Iowa had entire coolers
full of margarine waiting for Minnesotans. Eventually, the Minnesota legislature
eliminated the ban. But it was too late for those of us who had spent our
youth as "oleo smugglers." We're still waiting for an amnesty
-- Tom Gilsenan
A federal judge in California has ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does include the Internet websites. The ruling came in a class action suit against Target Corp. Plaintiffs in the case went to court to get Target to make its website accessible to the blind and visually impaired. Target argued that there is no law which requires accessible websites. The judge says there is, citing the ADA, which is 20 years old next week. For more about this case, check the Facebook page for Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop
COLUMN OFTEN BEGIN
WITH CONVERSATION
WHEN I sit down to write this column, I am often writing
to someone in particular. Or I am continuing a conversation I had with someone.
For example, I have written several columns about urban planning ("When zoning
hurts diversity' and "Vision for downtown" are two examples.)
These emerged from conversations with Julie Spears, an MSW grad
who now lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and Lisa Bender, an MSW grad who lives in
Cedar Rapids..
I have listened to both talk about the opportunities for collaboration between
social work and urban planning. But too often, these are missed opportunities
both in the classroom and in our communities. These columns were an extension of
these conversations with Julie and Lisa combined with my own background in urban
studies.
I've written a several columns on diversity and human rights. Often when I
write such a column, I am thinking of my conversations with Ray Roybal, a
community activist and good friend. He has as much passion and drive now as he
did when I first met him during the 1960s. Like a number of my friends Ray and
I met planning a demonstration. We have talked many hours about a more just
and peaceful world.
So when I write a column about tolerance or interracial
understanding, I often think of it as a letter to Ray. That was the case with
"Old 'ethnic notions' return," , a column about the "Lure of the West"
exhibit at the University Art Museum. It was also the case with a column
titled "Little diversity in a week's worth of newspaper photos."
I believe each of us has columns inside us, topics we can write about with
clarity and wisdom. What can be hard is figuring out how to get those columns
out of us and onto paper.
I thought that if I told you how my columns emerge, it
might be helpful to you in figuring out how to get yours out, too. And perhaps
you might have one to send. We'll be
checking our mailbox. Good luck.
-- Tom Gilsenan
TAKING A ROAD TRIP SOON?
TRY THESE COFFEESHOPS
Summer is now half over. But it's not too late for a Midwest
road trip over a coming weekend. Here are a few coffeeshops to check out as you
travel:
Hard Times Cafe, 1821 Riverside, Minneapolis. Worker-owned cooperative located
in the Cedar-Riverside district neat University of Minnesota. Founded in 1992.
Open just short of 24 hours every day.
Red Rooster, 202 S. Main St., Aberdeen. Dan Cleberg and his sister, Kileen,
opened this place in 1996. Be sure to check out the hot sauce display. Live
music several nights a week. Closed Sundays.
Blue Strawberry, 118 Second St SE, Cedar Rapids. Open every day. Music at least
two nights a week.
Java Joe's, 214 4th St., downtown Des Moines. Open every day. Great place to go on
Saturdays after a visit to the Farmers Market. Check out the live music schedule.
We picked these coffeeshops because they have a community spirit similar to
Bill's. Do you know of a coffeeshop or two with this same spirit? Let us know;
we'll pass the word along to Newsletter readers.
SENSE OF COMMUNITY:
AN AWESOME FEELING
Editor's note: Sarah Wannamacher was a volunteer in Bill's Coffeeshop
in 2005. This is an excerpt from a paper she wrote about her
experience.
BY SARAH WANNEMACHER
"Wild Bill's is a place where anyone can come and be safe. It is a place of
social service. A place where people can sit and talk and be listened to, or a
place to laugh and cry.
"It is a community. You have regulars that come and get the same thing at the
same time. But then you also have those who are new or only stop by once in
awhile.
"Many people look at it as just a coffeeshop. But it is something more than
that. It is a place where human interaction and learning takes place. Many
teachers meet their students there; there are creative readings; a place where
university organizations meet. It is similar to a community center.
"The environment at Wild Bill's is a place where one can be accepted, a place
where one can be oneself and not feel isolated by disabilities. It gives
individuals with disabilities a healthy and inviting social life.
"Individuals with disabilities are not the only clients. I believe I was a
client of Wild Bill's, too, and the same with everyone else who came into the
coffeeshop. The sense of community makes everyone a client. It is an awesome
feeling."
COLUMN OFTEN BEGIN
WITH CONVERSATION
WHEN I sit down to write this column, I am often writing
to someone in particular. Or I am continuing a conversation I had with someone.
For example, I have written several columns about urban planning ("When zoning
hurts diversity' and "Vision for downtown" are two examples.)
These emerged from conversations with Julie Spears, an MSW grad
who now lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and Lisa Bender, an MSW grad who lives in
Cedar Rapids..
I have listened to both talk about the opportunities for collaboration between
social work and urban planning. But too often, these are missed opportunities
both in the classroom and in our communities. These columns were an extension of
these conversations with Julie and Lisa combined with my own background in urban
studies.
I've written a several columns on diversity and human rights. Often when I
write such a column, I am thinking of my conversations with Ray Roybal, a
community activist and good friend. He has as much passion and drive now as he
did when I first met him during the 1960s. Like a number of my friends Ray and
I met planning a demonstration. We have talked many hours about a more just
and peaceful world.
So when I write a column about tolerance or interracial
understanding, I often think of it as a letter to Ray. That was the case with
"Old 'ethnic notions' return," , a column about the "Lure of the West"
exhibit at the University Art Museum. It was also the case with a column
titled "Little diversity in a week's worth of newspaper photos."
I believe each of us has columns inside us, topics we can write about with
clarity and wisdom. What can be hard is figuring out how to get those columns
out of us and onto paper.
I thought that if I told you how my columns emerge, it
might be helpful to you in figuring out how to get yours out, too. And perhaps
you might have one to send. We'll be
checking our mailbox. Good luck.
-- Tom Gilsenan
TAKING A ROAD TRIP SOON?
TRY THESE COFFEESHOPS
Summer is now half over. But it's not too late for a Midwest
road trip over a coming weekend. Here are a few coffeeshops to check out as you
travel:
Hard Times Cafe, 1821 Riverside, Minneapolis. Worker-owned cooperative located
in the Cedar-Riverside district neat University of Minnesota. Founded in 1992.
Open just short of 24 hours every day.
Red Rooster, 202 S. Main St., Aberdeen. Dan Cleberg and his sister, Kileen,
opened this place in 1996. Be sure to check out the hot sauce display. Live
music several nights a week. Closed Sundays.
Blue Strawberry, 118 Second St SE, Cedar Rapids. Open every day. Music at least
two nights a week.
Java Joe's, 214 4th St., downtown Des Moines. Open every day. Great place to go on
Saturdays after a visit to the Farmers Market. Check out the live music schedule.
We picked these coffeeshops because they have a community spirit similar to
Bill's. Do you know of a coffeeshop or two with this same spirit? Let us know;
we'll pass the word along to Newsletter readers.
SENSE OF COMMUNITY:
AN AWESOME FEELING
Editor's note: Sarah Wannamacher was a volunteer in Bill's Coffeeshop
in 2005. This is an excerpt from a paper she wrote about her
experience.
BY SARAH WANNEMACHER
"Wild Bill's is a place where anyone can come and be safe. It is a place of
social service. A place where people can sit and talk and be listened to, or a
place to laugh and cry.
"It is a community. You have regulars that come and get the same thing at the
same time. But then you also have those who are new or only stop by once in
awhile.
"Many people look at it as just a coffeeshop. But it is something more than
that. It is a place where human interaction and learning takes place. Many
teachers meet their students there; there are creative readings; a place where
university organizations meet. It is similar to a community center.
"The environment at Wild Bill's is a place where one can be accepted, a place
where one can be oneself and not feel isolated by disabilities. It gives
individuals with disabilities a healthy and inviting social life.
"Individuals with disabilities are not the only clients. I believe I was a
client of Wild Bill's, too, and the same with everyone else who came into the
coffeeshop. The sense of community makes everyone a client. It is an awesome
feeling."
ENCOUNTERS WITH IOWA:
ONE VERY SHORT STORY
I first visited Iowa as part of a smuggling ring. When I was growing up in
Minnesota, you couldn't buy yellow margarine. Margarine was sold in the state,
but it was white instead of yellow. The state legislature had forbidden the
sale of such "colored oleo" to protect the dairy industry.
So Minnesota residents who wanted yellow margarine drove to Iowa to get it. In
my neighborhood, people would take turns making the excursion to Iowa to buy
entire cases of margarine for themselves and others. My parents took me along
on more than one of these adventures in "oleo smuggling."
Iowans encouraged this activity. Markets in towns just inside Iowa had entire coolers
full of margarine waiting for Minnesotans. Eventually, the Minnesota legislature
eliminated the ban. But it was too late for those of us who had spent our
youth as "oleo smugglers." We're still waiting for an amnesty
-- Tom Gilsenan
HELP SPREAD
THE WORD
Know someone who would enjoy receiving the Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter. Let us know and we'll send a sample issue along with an invitation to subscribe. Or you could send a recent issue to someone you think might be interested. Thank you.
AN EXTRA LARGE CUP
OF COFFEE QUOTES
The perfect cup of coffee wipes clear the windows of perception to sparkling,
glassy brilliance -- Chris Kilham
Coffee: Bean there, done that -- sign in T'Spoons Coffeeshop, Iowa City
Plastic gun. Ingenious. More coffee, please -- The Phantom
Coffee which makes the politician wise, and see through all things with his
half-shut eyes -- Alexander Pope
Dialogue from an episode of Twin Peaks:
Harry: What do you recommend for a hangover?
Annie: Teetotaling and prayer
Cooper: Good answer
Harry: I'll try some coffee
posted by Tom Gilsenan @ 4:33 PM
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